Agnieszka Aga Macoch: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Agnieszka Macoch (Aga)

City: Round Lake

Office sought: Fremont School Board 79

Age: 37

Family: I have two children.

Occupation: Substitute teacher and homemaker.

Education: Master's degree in Modern European History with a minor in Latin American History from UIC; Bachelor's degree in Political Science and second major in History from UIC; Associate's degree in Liberal Arts from Oakton Community College; High School Diploma from Glenbrook South High School

Civic involvement: I have been serving on the Fremont School Board 79 since April 2017

Previous elected offices held: NA

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? I was appointed to an unfilled two-year term. When I voted in the local election, I realized that no one ran for two two-year terms in 2017. It made me feel sad that no one wanted to serve, so I decided to step up and apply for appointment, even tough my son was only 6 months old at that time. Over the past two years, I feel that our board has worked very hard and succeeded in managing Fremont's precious resources. Children are the future of our community and I want to make sure that we take care and offer our students the best public education our budget allows. The school board does not get paid for their work. Basically, we are elected and sometimes appointed volunteers. But I believe that this work is essential and I would be honored to continue to offer my time and knowledge to serve our community.

Facebook: Aga Macoch

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your district and how do you intend to address them?

Student growth and learning are the most important issues facing our district today. I would like the Fremont School Board to continue on our three year facilities renovation plan, while continuing to maintain a balanced budget. The implementation and growth of personalized learning program within our schools is also very important in ensuring growth. Moreover with rapidly changing advances in technological innovation their absorption and adoption by the district will also continue to be a topic of conversation.

How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?

I think that our school District does a great job in preparing students for high school and beyond. Student growth and learning is very important to me. I also think that there is always room for improvement, growth and innovation.

What budgetary issues will your district have to confront during the next four years and what measures do you support to address them?

If you believe cuts are necessary, be specific about programs and expenses that should be considered for reduction or elimination. On the income side, do you support any tax increases? Be specific. For the past two years and the time I have been on the Fremont School Board 79, we have maintained a balanced budget. The current board and staff work very hard to make sure that all expenses are considered and wasteful spending is eliminated. I would be honored to continue our good work for the next four years.

Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?

Since September 2018, the Round Lake School District 116 has employed me as a substitute teacher. There is a shortage of substitute teachers, so I wanted to help. I especially enjoy working with pre-K and special education students. I did not want to work within the Fremont District 79 because of possible conflicts of interests. No one in my family is directly or indirectly employed by any school district including Fremont School District 79.

As contract talks come up with various school employee groups - teachers, support staff, etc. - what posture should the school board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions from its employees, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?

Our district should seek to attract talented teachers and staff, so that we can provide the best education possible for our children. At the same time, we should keep in mind the resources that we have available. It is a balancing act. In the past two years, we have been able to keep a balanced budget, while providing our students with great and committed teachers and staff.

If your district had a superintendent or other administrator nearing retirement, would you support a substantial increase in his or her pay to help boost pension benefits? Why or why not? NA